Screening panel system for ore screening decks that is now widely used by the mining industry, replaced the earlier screening cloths and large wire screening frames. These screening panels are known to be either of Rubber or Polyurethane with steel reinforcements. It is also known that such panels are manufactured by hot vulcanized method or casting. The panels are adapted to be secured with the support frame of the screen machine by bolting. The panels may also be secured to the frame with an alternate method using a pin and separate lug arrangement.
A difficulty encountered in using these panels is that the whole panel needs to be replaced with a minimum defect in the aperture zone due to cutting of aperture or wearing of aperture where screening area thickness is reduced. This affects the strength of apertured area of the panel and also the cut point. In a screen panel the edges are thicker than the screening portion as in the edges, the internal reinforcements are placed which needs to be wear protected. However, the main wear portion is the screening area thickness i.e in the aperture zone which is the functional zone. Conventionally the functional zone and the reinforcement zone are homogeneous and one piece. Hence, at the time of replacement of panels the customer has to change the entire panel i.e the functional zone or wear zone and the reinforcement zone being one, homogeneous and integral. Further, the integral nature of the screen panels add on to the overall weight triggering, handling inconveniences.
Accordingly there was a long felt need to design improved screen panels for its application in mining and quarrying industries, which have replaceable wearing/functional sections and which are light weight, easy to handle and have substantially low manufacturing cost.
The present invention meets the aforesaid long felt need.
All through out the specification including the claims, the words “screen panel”, “mining”, “quarrying”, “mineral”, “ores”, “abrasion resistant”, “wear resistant”, “sections”, “zones”, “wear zone/section”, “reinforcement zone/section” are to be interpreted in the broadest sense of the respective terms and includes all similar items in the field known by other terms, as may be clear to persons skilled in the art. Restriction/limitation, if any, referred to in the specification, is solely by way of example and understanding the present invention.